6-letter words with O as the 3rd letter and A as the 4th letter

The fixed pattern is _ _ O A _ _. ABOARD, FLOATS, and GROANS are among the more recognizable fits, but only two entries rank as common English words. Most end in S (19 of the 30), and the range runs from everyday-looking forms to specialist vocabulary.

6-letter words with O as the 3rd letter and A as the 4th letter

• There are 30 tournament-dictionary matches for the _ _ O A _ _ pattern.
• CROAKY leads the Scrabble scores at 15 points; BROACH follows at 13.
• Nineteen words end in S, including FLOATS, SHOALS, and CROAKS.
• C and S tie as the most common first letters, with six words apiece.

Which endings and starting letters dominate?

The final S is the clearest pattern clue: 19 of the 30 matches end that way. Other endings are scattered, with Y appearing on FLOATY, CROAKY, and SHOALY. If your rack or crossing letters rule out S, those Y words are a short alternative set.

C and S each start six entries, while T starts five. That gives you a practical filter: test CROAKS, CLOAKS, or SLOANS when the first square is open, then use the crossing letters to separate familiar forms from less common ones. The shape is much narrower than the 227 matches in the same pattern with R in third position.

How do scores and dictionary coverage compare?

CROAKY scores 15 points before board bonuses, helped by its K and Y; BROACH is next at 13. CLOAKS, FLOATY, CROAKS, and SHOALY each score 12. A high face-value score does not make a word common, so weigh the points against the certainty of your play.

Collins accepts 29 entries, compared with 21 in ENABLE and 22 in NWL2023. Only two are common, so several plausible-looking answers may not be familiar vocabulary. For a longer list with the same fixed letters, the seven-letter pattern has 35 matches.